German court rules against 'Spaghetti Monster church'

BERLIN — A German court has ruled that local authorities are entitled to prevent a group calling itself the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster from advertising its “noodle Masses” at the entrance to an eastern town.

It’s standard practice in Germany for small signs at the entrance to towns to announce there’s a Lutheran or Catholic church and detail when it holds services. The “Spaghetti Monster” group, an organization that criticizes religion as intolerant, wanted permission to do the same in Templin, northeast of Berlin.

News agency dpa reported that the Brandenburg state court ruled Wednesday the group can’t claim the rights of a religious or philosophical community. Judges said its criticism of others’ beliefs doesn’t constitute a philosophy.